2:07 PM,
Sep. 26, 2012

Frank Langella plays an aging cat burglar who grows to become friends with his robot in 'Robot & Frank.'

Written by

Bill Goodykoontz
GANNETT CHIEF FILM CRITIC

Buddy films typically involve cops or people in other jobs who are forced by plot conventions to spend time together, drawing attention to their differences and, ultimately, their similarities.

"Robot & Frank" is a different kind of buddy film: It's about a man and his robot. Not a robot he wanted or appreciates at first, but one he grows to depend upon.

Frank (Frank Langella) is a cat burglar living in the near future who has gotten too old to continue in the line of work he loves. It's not just his age, it's his memory; Frank is in the early stages of dementia. ...